Thread: Embarrassed by your spelling?

I think there are spelling mistakes....and then there are spelling mistakes. The odd word here or there is one thing versus a whole dialogue of spelling and grammatical errors that makes it pointless to read. How important is it? I would think it is pretty bloody important. When I was hiring people, if I came across a resume littered with spelling mistakes it got binned straight away. My 11 yr old can spell, so if someone in their mid 20's can't there is a problem. Reading, writing and arithmetic are the very basic's of education, it shouldn't be that hard...should it?

Is it the be all and end all.......of course not.....my old man sends me emails every now and then that do my head in because of the errors in spelling and grammar and trying to decipher what he is saying. Being a multi millionaire, maybe he can get away with it ,

Regards

Stevo

Originally Posted by George130

Those of us who know we can't spell just live with it. I used to get asked why I didn't use a dictionary. Simple answere is if you can't spell then you can't use a dictionary. I also know my writting skills will always be sub par.

I don't want to re-open the whole debate about the importance of spelling.
It was debated fairly comprehensively in October last year, complete with a poll on the subject.
To Spell or not to Spell :-)

I just want to make the point that the claim so often heard that you can't look a word up in the dictionary if you can't spell it is usually a cop out.

It may be true in some cases such as "xylophone", "dauphin" or "yacht", but most of the time a fairly quick search would locate the word easily enough.

The word in the title which apparently caused some difficulty is commonly written incorrectly and is a fairly typical example.
Surely there are only a few possibilities: embaras, embarras, embarras, or possible even embaris.
Look up any one of those possibilities in the dictionary and you will be so close on the page to the correct spelling that you could hardly miss it.

Even if there are a lot of words that are hard to look up if you can't spell them, there are an enormous number that could be found quite easily. I will concede that there are some words you can't find if you can't spell them, but it is certainly not universally true.

BTW George130, your post is easy to read.

That has little to do with how good your spelling is. It is because unlike some other people, You know when to put in a full stop and start a new sentence.

Being able to write in short clear sentences and also in short paragraphs has little to do with your level of education. How hard can it be to bung in a full stop after each statement and start a new sentence or a new paragraph?

If someone who claims to have sub par writting skills can do it surely everyone can.

The POINT of this thread was just to let people know about a freeware spell checker. The point WAS NOT to start the whole spelling debate again. Bloody thread hijackers

Originally Posted by WhiteD3

The POINT of this thread was just to let people know about a freeware spell checker. The point WAS NOT to start the whole spelling debate again. Bloody thread hijackers

I thought it had already served its purpose admirably.

The poor unfortunates who are stuck with IE had found out about a freeware spell checker.

A few enlightened (but apparently not fully informed) users of FF found out about the Australian Dictionary add-on.

So I thought as the thread had served its original purpose and one extra purpose it was fair game for those who had a mind to hijack it.

Spelling is over rated.

Went to a public school and cant spell for... well not much. only need to remember alkanes have single bonds, alkenes have double bonds and alkynes have triple bonds or is that alkenes have single bonds....bugger

now if i put this ether near this flame

Originally Posted by vnx205

I don't want to re-open the whole debate about the importance of spelling.
It was debated fairly comprehensively in October last year, complete with a poll on the subject.
To Spell or not to Spell :-)

I just want to make the point that the claim so often heard that you can't look a word up in the dictionary if you can't spell it is usually a cop out.

It may be true in some cases such as "xylophone", "dauphin" or "yacht", but most of the time a fairly quick search would locate the word easily enough.

The word in the title which apparently caused some difficulty is commonly written incorrectly and is a fairly typical example.
Surely there are only a few possibilities: embaras, embarras, embarras, or possible even embaris.
Look up any one of those possibilities in the dictionary and you will be so close on the page to the correct spelling that you could hardly miss it.

Even if there are a lot of words that are hard to look up if you can't spell them, there are an enormous number that could be found quite easily. I will concede that there are some words you can't find if you can't spell them, but it is certainly not universally true.

BTW George130, your post is easy to read.

That has little to do with how good your spelling is. It is because unlike some other people, You know when to put in a full stop and start a new sentence.

Being able to write in short clear sentences and also in short paragraphs has little to do with your level of education. How hard can it be to bung in a full stop after each statement and start a new sentence or a new paragraph?

If someone who claims to have sub par writting skills can do it surely everyone can.

I'm surprised my grammar is even remotly correct. I only begon to understand grammar at the end of year 12.
As for spelling. I am dislexic. My records and tests are what was used in the ACT to creat the standards for recognising someone with a learning disability as by year 12 I could no longer hide it.
After a lot of extra coaching I was told I will never spell correctly unles I can loose the ability to read and write and start from scratch.
I still try to get it right in the first place but I cannot see my own mistakes and only see obviouse mistakes in others.
On the plus side I am very good at interpreting what is supposed to be there. A lot of the more dificult words I know is because I spent weeks learning the word and sayings to get the letters correct.
I can't even read my own hand writting after 6-12 months so have to type or memorise things I need to know.

I never have a problem understanding anything you write Edd.

The following indicates limitations of using spelling checkers. Try it through yours.
Since they came into apparently common use I have noticed that most of the spelling mistakes in newspapers are the sort spelling checkers do not pick up.

GET IT WRITE!

I have a spelling chequer
It came with my Pea See
It plane lee marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye can knot sea.

When aye strike the quays and right a whirred
Eye weight fore it too say
Weather eye am write or wrong
It tells me rite aweigh.

Whenever a mist ache is maid
It nose bee four two late
It tells me watt eye rote is floored
Its rear lee, rear lee grate!

I've run this pome write threw it
I'm shore yore pleased two no
Its let a perfect in its weigh
My chequer tolled me sew

- Sauce unknown